Sweeper gutter broom suspension



May 2, 1967 s. TAMNY l 3,316,578

SWEEPER GUTTER BROOM SUSPENSION File'd Dec. 23, 1965 A. 5 Sheets-Sheet 1Arron/ 5549.-

May 2, 1967 s. TAMNY 3,316,578

SWEEPER GUTTER BROOM SUSPENSION Filed neo. 2s, 1965 5 sheets-sheet a IvVEN rol? .S7/VON 75m/Y @Tram/1519.r

May 2, 1967 s. TAMNY SWEEPER GUTTER BROOM SUSPENSION 3 Sheets-Sheet 5Filed Dec. 25, 1965 INVENTOQ. .5mm/v 12mm/y I @Ya/M a @figa In um @blowfs wv @Trae/veus".

United States Patent O 3,316,578 SWEEPER GUTTER BROOM SUSPENSION SimonTarnny, Los Angeles, Calif., assigner to Wayne Manufacturing Company,Pomona, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Dec. 23, 1965, Ser.No. 516,000 9 Claims. (Cl. 15-87) This invention has to do withimprovements in street sweeper gutter broom mounting and controlassemblies.

Street sweepers commonly employ single or oppositely positioned rotarydriven gutter brooms which operate to sweep from gutter or like lateralareas, debris inwardly beneath the sweeper vehicle for displacement andelevation into a receptacle chamber, the brooms being mounted to bedisplaceable from lowered sweeping to elevated traveling positions.

The present invention has for its general object to provide an improvedgutter broom and mounting assembly of the general type in which themotor driven broom is supported by a carrier mounted to the sweepervehicle frame so that the carrier and broom are movable togetherdownwardly and laterally from elevated to sweeping positions.Incorporated in the assembly may be means for maintaining the broom atvariable tilt angles in sweeping position.

More particularly, the invention is directed to simplied means forellecting and controlling the movement `and condition of thecarrier-broom assembly between and at lowered sweeping and elevatednon-functional traveling positions. In accordance with the invention, Iprovide a simplilied carrier-brush elevating mechanism characterized byits employment of a single power unit operating by way of a simpleover-center device to maintain the assembly in elevated position fromwhich the assembly is releasable for downward and outward gravitymovement to sweeping position.

Also contemplated is the provision of adjustable means requiring only asingle spring applying lifting force to the broom carrier to cause thebroom to have variable ground pressure and flexibly restrained outersweeping position.

The invention has vario-us additional features, objects and morespeciiic details, all of which will be understood readily from thefollowing description of an illustrative embodiment of the inventionshown by the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a plan View, diagrammatcal in parts showing the -broom andmounting assembly in association with a sweeper frame structure;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 2 2 of FIG. l illustrating the carrierand broom relationship in elevated position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the carrier and broom droppeddown to sweeping position;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. l showing the interiors of the carrierand the mounting structures;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5 5 of FIG. 4;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are transverse sections taken respectively on lines 6 6and 7 7 of FIG. 4; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are views diagrammatically similar to FIG. 6 illustrativeof variability of the broom tilt.

In reference rst to FIGS. 1 to 3, the broom 10 is shown to be supportedby carrier 11 mounted at 12, and as will later appear in detail, to anappropriate frame member 13 of a conventional street sweeper. The broomand carrier are mounted for downward and outward movement relative to asecond sweeper vehicle frame member 14, from the broken line elevatedtraveling positions lila and 11a to the lowered sweeping positionsdepicted by the solid lines 10b and 11b. FIG. 2 shows the elevatedposition wherein the carrier 11 may be substantially horizontal with thebroom vertically axially positioned, and FIG. 3 illustrates the loweredpositions 10b and 11b of the broom and carrier wherein the carrier isinclined but the broom retains its vertical axial orientation, exceptfor possible tilt adjustment as will later appear.

Referring to FIG. 4, the sweeper vehicle frame member 13 rigidly mountsa channel 15 from which projects a bracket 16 which supports pivot pin17. The latter extends through and hinges the lateral extension 18, seeFIG. 6, of a rectangularly walled connector 19 to the right side ofwhich as viewed in FIGURES 5 and 6, is secured a hinge bracket 20 whichmounts pivot pin 21 extending through the top and bottom of a secondrectangularly walled connector 22. The bra-cket 20, pin 21 and connector22 constitute a hinge structure mounting the carrier and broom forlateral swinging movement, and the members 16 and 18 and pin 17 hingethe entire assembly to permit variation of the broom tilt as will laterappear.

The carrier 11 is shown to have the form of an open bottom housinghaving top and side walls 24 and 25. As shown in FIG. 7, the housing ismounted to the connector Z2 for up and down swinging movement by shaft26 extending through bearing sleeve 271. Within its opposite end thehousing contains the broom motor assembly generally indicated at M andwhich is shown to comprise a diagrammatically indicated motor proper at27 and gear box 28. The base of the assembly M has a pair of bracketarms 29 pivoted by pins 30 to the housing side walls 25 so that themotor and broom are movable relative to the carrier between the FIG. 2and FIG. 3 positions. The motor assembly has a fixed top bracket 31pivoted at 32 to rod or link 33, the opposite end of which is pivoted at34 to and between arms 35 carried by the connector 22 as shown in FIG.7. The rod 33, together with housing 11, constitute in essence aparallel link mechanism whereby, as the carrier is swung downwardly andoutwardly from the FIG. 2 to the FIG. 3 position, the motor and broomassembly pivots at Sil relative to the housing and maintains essentiallyconstant vertical orientation.

Referring particularly to FIGS. l, 4 and 5, the sweeper frame member 14mounts a channel 37 within which is accommodated a power cylinder 3Spivoted at 39 to the channel and having a piston rod 4t) pivoted at 41to an arm 42 which in turn is pivoted at 43 to the channel. A ilexibleconnector, such as chain 44, has one end connected at 45 to the end ofthe carrier housing, tbe chain thence extending about the stationarilymounted guide 46 and thence about sheave 47 carried by the arm 42, :toxed anchorage at 48.

The arm 42 is thus mounted for a range of oscillatory movement betweenthe solid and broken line positions of FIG. 1. At an intermediate pointin its movement, the arm swings to move the line of force transmissionof the chain 44 from one to the other side of pivot 43, and thusoperates in over-center relation thereto. Assuming the broom to be insweeping position, by pneumatically or hydraulically pressurizing thecylinder 38, using suitable-control means, not shown, the carriage andbroom assembly is raised by the piston past the arm overcenter positionand thereby becomes held in fully raised condition. Upon reverseactuation of the piston, the arm swings out past the over centerposition to release the carrier and broom assembly for gravity movementto lowered sweeping condition.

As best shown in FIG. 4, a chain 5t) anchored to the connector section19 is terminally connected at 51 to chain 52 passed about sprocket orsheave 53 carried by bracket 54 mounted at 55 to the inside of thecarrier housing. The opposite end of the chain 56 connects with coilspring S7 terminally joined to nut 58 into which screw 59 is threaded.By adjustment of the screw the spring tension may be increased ordecreased. The effect of the spring and chain reversed about thesprocket or sheave 53 is to exert force tending to urge the carrier andbroom assembly outward throughout the range of over-center travel of itslift mechanism. Thus the spring applied lifting force to the carrier andthereby causes the broom to have variable ground pressure and to beflexibly restrained in its outward sweeping position.

Variation of the working tilt angle of the broom is effected by a screwshaft `60, see FG. 6, having an accessible handle 61 and extendingthrough support 62 between fixed stops 621 to be terminally threadedthrough a pin bearing 63 within the frame channel 15. Adjustment of thescrew variably positions the connector section 19 relative to the fixedsupport 64, and in so doing, correspondingly limits and determines thetilt angle of the entire assembly including the connector section 22,housing 11, and ultimately axial orientation or tilt of the broom 10.

It is to be understood that the drawings are to be regarded merely asillustrative of the invention in a typical though preferred embodimentand that various changes and modifications may be made of the inventionwithout departure from its intended spirit and scope.

I claim:

1. A street sweeper gutter broom and mounting assembly, comprising avehicle frame structure, a broom carrier, a generally horizontallydisposed rotary broom rotatable about an essentially vertical axis andsupported by and movable relative to the carrier, means mounting saidcarrier to the frame structure for both downward and lateral outwardmovement from broom elevated traveling position to lowered sweepingposition, a single power source mounted to the frame structure, meansconnecting said power source to the carrier and transmitting bothlateral and vertical force components to raise the carrier and broomfrom lowered sweeping position to raised traveling position, and singlespring means applying lifting and outward force to the carrier therebyto cause the broom to have variable ground pressure and flexiblyrestrained outward sweeping position.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, in which said spring means includesa exible element, a spring connected to one end of the element, meansproviding relatively adjustable terminal support for the spring andelement, and guide means on the carrier over which passes anintermediate extent of said element.

3. A street sweeper gutter broom and mounting assembly, comprising avehicle frame structure, a broom carrier, a generally horizontallydisposed rotary broom rotatable about an essentially vertical axis andsupported by and movable relative to the carrier, means mounting saidcarrier to the frame structure for both downward and lateral outwardmovement from broom elevated traveling position to lowered sweepingposition, a single power source mounted to the frame structure, meansconnecting said power source to the carrier and transmitting bothlateral and Vertical force components to raise the carrier and broomfrom lowered sweeping position to raised traveling position, said powersource including over-center means acting to maintain the carrier andbroom in said elevated position and to release the carrier and broombeyond an intermediate position thereof for downward and outward gravitymovement.

4. An assembly according to claim 3, in which said over-center meanscomprises a flexible element interconnecting the frame structure andcarrier, oscillatory guide means for an intermediate extent of saidelement, and a piston operable to oscillate said guide means to raiseand lower the carrier and broom and so associated with the guide meansthat the latter oscillates in over-center relation to force applicationby the exible element.

5. An assembly according to claim 3, including also single spring meansapplying lifting and outward force to the carrier and thereby to causethe broom to have variable ground pressure and flexibly restrainedoutward sweeping position.

6. An assembly according to claim 5, in which said spring means includesa flexible element, a spring connected to one end of the element, meansproviding relatively adjustable terminal support for the spring andelement and guide means on the carrier over which passes an intermediateextent of said element.

7. A street sweeper gutter broom and mounting assembly, comprising avehicle frame structure, a broom carrier, a generally horizontallydisposed rotary broom rotatable about an essentially vertical axis andsupported by and movable relative to the carrier, means mounting saidcarrier to the frame structure for both downward and lateral outwardmovement from broom elevated traveling position to lowered sweepingposition, a single power source mounted to the frame structure, meansconnecting said power source to the carrier and transmitting bothlateral and vertical force components to raise the carrier and broomfrom lowered sweeping position to raised traveling position, saidcarrier comprising an elongated housing overlying the broom andcontaining a broom rotating motor, a pivotal mounting for the housing,and linkage means within the housing operable to maintain essentiallyvertical axial orientation of the broom at different inclinations of thehousing, said linkage means comprising a pivoted link connected to themotor and means pivotally connecting the motor to the housing so thattogether said pivoted link and the housing function as a linkage system.

8. An assembly according to claim 7, including also a single adjustablespring means extending into the housing and applying lifting and outwardforce to said housing.

9. An assembly according to claim 8, in which said spring meanscomprises an adjustable coil spring anchored to the frame structure, aguide carried by the inside of said housing, and a flexible elementextending from the spring about said guide means and thence reversely toterminal support.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1965 Gehman etal. 15-87 X 8/1965 Brown et al. 15-320

3. A STREET SWEEPER GUTTER BROOM AND MOUNTING ASSEMBLY, COMPRISING AVEHICLE FRAME STRUCTURE, A BROOM CARRIER, A GENERALLY HORIZONTALLYDISPOSED ROTARY BROOM ROTATABLE ABOUT AN ESSENTIALLY VERTICAL AXIS ANDSUPPORTED BY AND MOVABLE RELATIVE TO THE CARRIER, MEANS MOUNTING SAIDCARRIER TO THE FRAME STRUCTURE FOR BOTH DOWNWARD AND LATERAL OUTWARDMOVEMENT FROM BROOM ELEVATED TRAVELING POSITION TO LOWERED SWEEPINGPOSITION, A SINGLE POWER SOURCE MOUNTED TO THE FRAME STRUCTURE, MEANSCONNECTING SAID POWER SOURCE TO THE CARRIER AND TRANSMITTING BOTHLATERAL AND VERTICAL FORCE COMPONENTS TO RAISE THE CARRIER AND BROOMFROM LOWERED SWEEPING